Talks with Pfizer to Continue Today
Vala Hafstað
Representatives of Icelandic authorities will be meeting online today, Tuesday, with representatives of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer to discuss the possibility of Pfizer conducting a phase IV trial of their COVID-19 vaccine in Iceland in order to research, among other things, whether herd immunity can be achieved. Talks to this effect have been ongoing since December.
Morgunblaðið’s sources indicate that a decision is likely to be made following today’s meeting.
Should the study be approved, the infrastructure needed for the project is well underway. Laugardalshöll sports center in Reykjavík has already been converted into a mass vaccination site, where thousands of people could potentially be vaccinated a day. The vaccination facility on Suðurlandsbraut, Reykjavík, which has been used so far, offers limited parking space, while Laugardalshöll has about 1,400 parking spots.